PISCES-Monday Mural

Another mural from Fort Marcy Sports Complex

Linking to Monday Mural

Portraits Old and New!

Portraits Old and New

Exhibit not to be missed

Cultural blessings

This is one of the fine museums on Museum Hill in Santa Fe. The permanent collections are outstanding and the gift shop holds many treasures (think turquoise jewelry!). The brilliant sun here often makes photography challenging if one is not able to get out early in the morning or late afternoon. The lettering looks like you may have double vision, but it's just the shadow of that wonderful sun! The exhibit was instructive and great fun to view. The contemporary photos displayed some portraits with a terrific sense of humor.  If you go, do not miss "White Man's Moccasins!"

ADDED LATER: If you want to see the photograph by Lee Marmon, I found more images on the web. See credit below.  An added bonus - I discovered that he is the father of Leslie Marmon Silko, a Native American writer that I had taught to students.  Have any of you read Ceremony?

Credit: http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/01/11/28/0111284bc7a72973e96c3a9137731424.jpg

Linking to Lee Marmon's Bio

Patience!

Patient dog Maggi

Ready for springtime frolics

Will summer begin

Linking to Camera Critters

Meet Frank

Frank from Edgewood, New Mexico has a booth at the Santa Fe Saturday Farmers Market where he displays hats and other items of apparel that are made from yarns that he gets from the Navajo Angora Goats he raises.  The yarns are spun and hand dyed to make a variety of colors for his wares. Frank cheerfully donned and modeled a few hats for you to see and enjoy.

Coyote Fence

This is the coyote fence in the backyard of the condo we rented.  If you look closely you can see that it's too early for any spring planting yet but above the pots hangs one of the bird feeders we kept full during our stay, plus the suet cage on top.  The house finches and the doves that visited us regularly kept emptying the feeders at dizzying speed (we provided water, too), but they ignored the suet. No visits from coyotes!!

Linking to Good Fences

Kindly Remember #2-ABC WEDNESDAY

Momentoes Left by Families and Friends at the "Wall That Heals"which was in Santa Fe for Six Days

Kindly Remember-ABC WEDNESDAY

Haunting Images from the Vietnam Veterans Installation in Marcy Park I described in this post.

Virgo-Monday Mural

I found this colorful astrology mural on a large round pillar at the entrance to the Fort Marcy Sports Complex off Bishops Lodge Road.  As you can see, there are more signs so I'll have to photograph some on a return trip.

Linking to Monday Mural

The Wall That Heals

The Wall that Heals is a half scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. It was escorted by the American Legion riders and the Patriot Guard Riders to the Fort Marcy Baseball Park in Santa Fe, New Mexico on March 18th.  The schedule for the public:

11:00 a.m.  March 20: Welcoming Ceremony

  5:00 p.m.  March  22: Reading of Names and Candlelight Vigil

11:00 a.m.  March  23: Honoring Ceremony

Hosted by the Vietnam Veterans of America Northern New Mexico Chapter 996

ELVIS LIVES!!-Camera Critters

Last week we took a road trip to White Sands National Monument near Alamagordo and spent some time in Las Cruces.  While there we noticed a little dog hanging around our motel.  "Elvis" is a stray that has been adopted by the employees who take care of him, pooling their money to buy him dog food.  One day one of the maintenance men brought in Elvis' very own doghouse, with his name and room number attached.  It now sits next to the outdoor pool, providing a home for this lucky little critter.  Had I been able to get away with it, I would have spirited him away with us because he and our dog, Maggi, hit it off!

Linking to Camera Critters and
Saturday's Critters

Green Chiles, Anyone?!

David is a vendor I met at the Santa Fe Farmers Market last Saturday. He was selling frozen green chiles, one of the products of the Family Owned Nambe Orchards. David told me that he has been with the market for years since its inception although initially it was in a different location. His 1# packages were not small enough for me to use and since I did not know how to defrost only part of the package, I did not buy one. I think that I made a mistake and will go back tomorrow, hoping that David will be there again so I can try his green chiles.

Shake It Up, Brian!

HAPPY SPRING, EVERYONE!

 A mutual friend suggested that I try a new restaurant in Santa Fe called Shake Foundation. Brian has been here in this city for several decades, but he is originally from Milwaukee, Wi, and is now the owner of a take-out stand  that serves burgers of all kinds, green chile stew and ice cream on Cerrillos St. On a sunny afternoon we stopped to get a chocolate shake, which was delicious and that we enjoyed on the very clean picnic tables outside. The shake was so thick that it had to be eaten with a spoon initially. We plan to return to try other items on the menu. It looks as though Brian is going to have a successful establishment.

PS. For those of you who were interested, yesterday's Wordless Wednesday's photo was taken during a jazz performance at a local art gallery during a recent Art Fest!  Fooled 'ya!!

Wordless Wednesday #2

Linking to Wordless Wednesday

Meet Jim-ABC WEDNESDAY "J"

Meet Jim, Vietnam Vet.  Because I tend to talk to everyone I meet, sometimes without any introductions, I found a delightful story-teller in Jim, who has lived in Santa Fe for the past six years.
My DH and I met Jim in an outdoor takeout restaurant, and we spent a pleasurable time with him, listening to his life stories.  Jim is a born colorful story-teller but wasn't interested in my suggestion that he write a memoir of his experiences; instead he is content living with his cat and reading good books, many of them about Vietnam.

Linking to ABC WEDNESDAY

Monday Mural-La Cocina

This large mural adorns the wall in one of the dining rooms of the restaurant I showed you last Monday and Tuesday.

Linking to Monday Mural

May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.
~Irish Blessing

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Images of Our Lady of Guadalupe are familiar sights throughout New Mexico.  Both of these larger than life murals were boldly painted on the walls of two restaurants in which we ate: the one on the left in Ranchos de Taos and the other in Santa Fe in Palacio Cafe (This painting is an oil on canvas with 23 kt gold leaf by Norberto Zamudio-Escarcega and it is 80x50 inches).  Our Lady definitely is not confined to churches.

The Wildlife Center-Camera Critters

A Small Gray Fox

Visit this site to learn about the work of The Wildlife Center in New Mexico and to see some great photos! They rehabilitate wild and wounded animals brought to them and also conduct educational programs. If we lived here year round this would be our primary volunteer place to work.

How We Operate

TWC is a non-profit organization, operating through the generosity of private and corporate donors and with the support of a few foundations and granting entities. TWC receives limited funding from the State of New Mexico (typically a grant that makes up no more than 2% of our budget). TWC employs a small staff of seven full and part-time employees. It would not function without the help of the 75+ volunteers who regularly dedicate their time, talent and resources to us. In addition to the on-site volunteers who do everything from education programs for schools to cleaning wildlife mews to feeding education animals, we have a network of transporters who bring animals to us from every corner of the state. It takes more than a village, it takes the entire state of New Mexico to keep wildlife and wild habitats part of the cultural mix. 

Linking to Camera Critters

Skywatch Friday-Santa Fe Sky

Linking to Skywatch Friday

The Rail Runner

A great way to travel between Albuquerque and Santa Fe!!

Wordless Wednesday

Linking to Wordless Wednesday

Incredible Restaurant and Incredible Meal-ABC WEDNESDAY "I"

Last week we drove to Taos and stopped at one of our favorite family restaurants in Ranchos de Taos. It is a favorite of the natives, and if a tourist is lucky, someone will tell them about the place.   Here is a copy of the review I sent to Trip Advisor:

" Whenever we are in Santa Fe we make sure that we drive to Ranchos de Taos to eat at this restaurant because it serves the most authentic and delicious Mexican food we have eaten anywhere in the states! Today we started with salsa and guacamole, using their large homemade chips to scoop. My husband had two enchiladas that he polished off quite nicely and I had a combination plate of chile relleno and cheese enchilada. I seldom order rellenos in restaurants because I am usually disappointed, but not here. My meal was fantastic. The portions are enormous and definitely worth the money!! The sopaipillas are very large and very delicious--a perfect way to end an outstanding meal. The waitstaff remain the same over the past years, and they are friendly and efficient. The paintings and murals complete the warm ambience. Kudos all around!!"  

 I had the plate on the left with chile relleno and cheese enchilada but DH ordered two enchiladas, the plate on the right.  We ended the meal with huge soppapillas and honey.  .  . food "to die for."

Notice the sign above has the image of the famous church I posted earlier.
Yesterday I posted one of the murals that is on one of the wall.

Linking to ABC Wednesday

Monday Mural-Favorite Restaurant

Last week we had a fantastic meal at one of our favorite New Mexico restaurants.  Tomorrow I'll show you where it is and what we ate.  NUM!! This is one of the many murals on the walls in the restaurant.

Linking to Monday Murals

A famous church and family

Anyone interested in New Mexico and art will recognize the frequently photographed church of St. Francisco de Asis in Ranchos de Taos because it has been made famous by Georgia O'Keffee in her painting. Interestingly, the front of the church faces away from the street, but the rear is the one most painted and photographed by admirers.  Since it is lent in the Catholic Church calendar, I thought I'd add one of the statues on the outside of the church.  Check out the necklace on baby Jesus!

Downtown Trains

 The downtown train station is fun to visit because of the old trains still parked there.

Stairwell

The stairwell in a neighboring condo really appeals to me.

Pippin Gallery

 

 I have a friend back in Minnesota whose last name is Pippin.  The next time that I am on Canyon Road and if the gallery is open, I need to find out if my friend and the owner are related.

Lovely Wall

 I could live here!!

A Happy Couple-ABC WEDNESDAY "H'

Seated next to me in a restaurant recently while I was having breakfast, Margaret, Dan, and I engaged in some friendly conversation.  I learned that this happy couple are native New Mexicans.  Margaret has lived her entire life on the same street in Santa Fe (how common is that ?!), and Dan originally from Taos now is a permanent resident here. They have three grown children, two girls and one boy,  and after a lifetime of working are now retired.  Dan worked for several decades in the lab at Los Alamos and Margaret was employed by US West Telephone Company. After she retired from the telephone company,  Margaret worked in several different places, one of which is The Camera Shop on San Francisco Street where I frequently visit for photographic supplies and advice from the owner Peter and Randy, who appeared on this blog during some of my previous visits in Santa Fe.  Wonder how many degrees of separation this is?! (And, for those of you who sometimes ask, yes, I had prints made for them since Margaret told me that they don't have a computer.  Hope they like the photos!)

Linking to ABC Wednesday

Community Table

Part of the mural on the wall at Pasqual's Cafe

This is a detail of a much larger wall painting entitled La Luna Se Fue a Una Fiesta by Leovigildo Martinez. Depicts celebrants at a the fiesta!

Linking to Monday Mural

Dee and Bernie

Dee and Bernie are the owners of Saveur, a wonderful restaurant in Santa Fe, NM, which they have owned for the last 7 years. Prior to that they had been retired for eight years after retiring from another Sante Fe restaurant that had previously kept them quiet busy. Retirement and volunteering did not satisfy them so they embarked on Saveur, which has been a resounding success. To keep a more balanced life, the restaurant is closed on week=ends, and they take an annual month long European vacation to visit French villages, bistros and other unique places . Both of them are personable hosts who take very good care of their guests. I felt very much at home, visiting with them and listening to their stories.